Silence: The Power of Quiet in a World Full of Noise

When you sit quietly, you can observe how your thoughts rush in, and you can practice not ruminating on them and instead let them just come and go as you focus on your breath and on the silence inside.

When we know we are more than our thoughts, we can make the determination not to allow our thinking to take over and dominate us.

If your volition is only to make enormous amounts of money or to have the biggest number of Twitter followers, that may not lead you to a satisfying life.

It’s important to become aware of what we feel, not just what we think.

Whenever you see an unpleasant mental formation manifesting, call on the seed of mindfulness to manifest as a second energy in your mind consciousness in order to recognize, embrace, and calm the negative mental formation, so you can look deeply into the negativity to see its source.

On a clear night, look up, and you can see that you are the stars above.

Even while sitting beside a clear, flowing stream, listening to beautiful music, or watching an excellent movie, don’t entrust yourself entirely to the stream, the music, or the film. Continue to be aware of yourself and your breathing.

Our awareness is the key to our protection.

If we have a lot of worry, fear, or anguish, that is very fertile ground for thinking that is completely useless, nonproductive, and harmful.

Nonthinking is an art, and like any art, it requires patience and practice. Reclaiming your attention and bringing your mind and body back together for even just ten breaths can be very difficult at first. But with continued practice, you can reclaim your ability to be present and learn just to be.